Music Releases Diary 2/4/2022

               Earlier this week, I had a bit of a meltdown because Spotify has refused to cancel a podcast show that is spreading harmful anti-vaccine and anti-mask lies, which has caused Neil Young and Joni Mitchell to pull their music from the app.  Neil Young’s song, “Rockin’ in the Free World,” is one of my favorites from the year I was born, and I love Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” and “River.”  These have been covered by Pearl Jam, Amy Grant, Idina Menzel and Heart, making them a big influence on my musical tastes.  Also, Joni Mitchell was partially the inspiration for the Led Zeppelin song “Going to California,” Robert Plant even saying “Joni” during the “turning 50 this year” performance captured on “How the West Was Won.”  Due to this, I will be using Spotify less, mostly just to check on what’s new so I can keep track of my favorite artists.

 

               Also irritating in the music business is that my anxiety is flaring up due to the blatant Nazi-style censorship in Texas, mostly because I could tell the governor could do something like this to concerts after the crowd crush last year, saying rock, pop and rap are too dangerous and the only music that should be performed/able to be viewed in the State should be from anti-maskers/anti-vaxxers/racists/Republicans like Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, the current incarnation of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Travis Tritt, Toby Keith and Morgan Wallen.  Also, Judas Priest is up for fan vote for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but is currently losing to Duran Duran, Eminem and the Eurythmics, none of which feel very rock and roll by comparison.

 

               That being said, last week had some great releases.  There was a streaming-only release of The Beatles’ rooftop concert, including the unheard jam of “God Save The Queen” and some miscellaneous banter that I didn’t hear on my earlier, poor-condition bootleg I bought because I was desperate to hear the show.  K.Flay and Party Favor released a good single called “Superhuman” and there was a good collaboration between Charli XCX and Rina Sawayama called “Beg For You,” but the best non-Beatles release last Friday thus far is easily the “The Legend of Vox Machina” song, from the show of the same name on Amazon Prime.  Sung by Sam Riegal in the role of Scanlan the Bard, it details the members of the first campaign of Critical Role, the web series on YouTube where voice actors sit around and play Dungeons and Dragons.  Laura Bailey, who plays Vexhalia in the show, was the reason I started watching due to her extensive video game voice-over resume (which will be seen at the end of this post, along with 9 other voice actors, 2 of which are also in Critical Role).  Laura also gets to say two words during this song in particular.

 

               This week there are two albums on my radar, one by Jill Scott, who cameoed on an Alicia Keys track back in 2020 (hard to say that since it hasn’t seemed to end).  The cover has her hold a flute and I thought I read she was a singer, so I guess I’ll have to learn if one or both are right.  The other is a John Williams album performed live in Berlin with various pieces from the many films he worked on.  Now, here is a list of 10 Voice actors I’d like to meet, mostly because of how fun they come across on Twitter, along with roles I know them for.

 

10 Voice actors I’d like to meet:

 

Laura Bailey (Rise Kujikawa, Persona 3 Girl Protagonist (Persona series (not Persona 4 Dancing All Night)), Lucina (Fire Emblem series (not Fire Emblem Heroes), Smash Bros. series), Chun-Li (Street Fighter and Capcom fighting games, Power Rangers; Battle for the Grid), Vexhalia (Critical Role Campaign 1/The Legend of Vox Machina), Jester (Critical Role Campaign 2), Imogen (Critical Role Campaign 3), Lego Wonder Woman (Lego Batman series), Anko Mitarashi (Naruto Shippuden; Clash of Ninja Revolution III and other games only) Sarada Uchiha (Naruto Shippuden Ninja Storm 4; Road to Boruto game only))

 

Tara Platt (Edelgard Von Hresvelg (Fire Emblem series), Mitsuru Kirijo, Elizabeth (Persona series, crossovers), Kali Belladonna (RWBY series), Temari (Naruto series), Miriel (Fire Emblem series), Ikuko Tsukino (Sailor Moon DVD re-release dub), Topsy McGee (self-made silent short movie; Topsy McGee VS The Sky Pirates), Time-Traveling Scientist (self-made short movie; Out of Time))

 

Abby Trott (Annette Fantine Dominic (Fire Emblem series), Nezuko (Demon Slayer), Smash Bros. Ultimate theme song singer)

 

Elizabeth Maxwell (Winter Schnee (RWBY series), Urbosa (Legend of Zelda; Breath of the Wild, Hyrule Warriors; Age of Calamity), Sae Niijima (Persona 5, Persona 5 Strikers), Ymir (Attack on Titan)),

 

Faye Mata (Petra MacNeary (Fire Emblem series), Aqua (Konosuba), Clampearl (Pokémon anime 2022),

 

Matthew Mercer (Chrom (Fire Emblem series), Yusuke Kitagawa (Persona series), Levi Ackerman (Attack on Titan), DM (Critical Role))

 

Yuri Lowenthal (Teenage Ben Tennyson (Ben 10 series), Persona 3 Male Protagonist, Yosuke Hanamura (Persona series, crossovers), Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto series), Marth, Eliwood (Fire Emblem series), PS4 Spider-Man, 1930s-1940s Detective (self-made short movie; Out of Time), Mr./Captain McGee (self-made silent short movie; Topsy McGee VS The Sky Pirates))

 

Travis Willingham (Lego Superman (Lego Batman series), Dinobot Slug (Transformers; Fall of Cybertron), Lon’qu (Fire Emblem series), Guile (Street Fighter/Other Capcom games/Super Smash Bros. Ultimate), Knuckles the Echidna (Sonic Series/Super Smash Bros. Ultimate), Grog (Critical Role Campaign 1/The Legend of Vox Machina), Fjord (Critical Role Campaign 2), Chetney (Critical Role Campaign 3))

 

Brittney Karbowski (Wendy Marvell (Fairy Tail), Camie Utsushimi (My Hero Academia))

 

Colleen Clinkenbeard (Erza Scarlet/Elsie Crimson (Fairy Tail/Edens Zero), Momo (My Hero Academia (I can’t spell her last name)), Luffy (One Piece), Mia Fey (Phoenix Wright; Ace Attorney), Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist), occasionally Android 18 (Dragonball Z and subsequent Dragonball series/games/etc.))

 

Music Releases Diary 1/28/2022

                I haven’t gotten all the way through last week’s releases, but I did get through Dream Theater, Keb’ Mo’ and AURORA‘s albums, the first two of which were pretty good examples of hard rock and acoustic blues, respectively.  The Ferrymen also had a pretty good album, though it really just whet my appetite for his work on the Leslie West Tribute album at the end of March.  AURORA’s album wasn’t anything special for the most part, but Brittney Spencer, an up-and-coming African-American woman country singer, has some great music already released over the last few years.  A pair of exceptional releases last week were the live version of “Boyfriend” by Tegan and Sara and Carrie Underwood’s song for the Cobra Kai soundtrack, which is apparently a TV show that spins off from the “Karate Kid” movies.  I also heard Satriani’s first single from his new album, it was nice, but not as fun as the singles from Steve Vai’s album have been.

 

               Speaking of, Steve Vai’s album releases tonight at 9:00, with a tour delayed until October/November due to a recent injury.  Eric Gales, a great African-American blues singer and guitarist, also has an album releasing tonight, and the Summer of Soul soundtrack, an album of the 1969 Harlem music festival, is also getting released.  This event was often called the “African-American Woodstock,” featuring B.B. King, Gladys Knight, Sly and the Family Stone and Nina Simone, and looks like a lot of fun.

 

               I’ve also seen more than a few posts on “mental health” and decided to lend my voice to them, saying, “Mental Health is a regular uphill climb for me due to my anxiety and depression disorders, but what helps immensely is the medication my psychiatrist prescribes.  What also can help me may be YouTube videos, video games and especially listening to music.”  I hope that can help other people in similar situations to me.  Also, emotional release video games like Fire Emblem; Three Houses and Persona 5 Strikers are best.  I would recommend the Black Eagles route, but I’ve been told the Blue Lions route is also helpful (in that you help someone battling their mental demons), though I think you get more of a sense of battling homophobia/lesbophobia/biphobia and the resulting corruption when Church and State Marry in the unholiest of matrimonies in the Black Eagles route.  It ultimately depends on how angry the last 6 years have made you, if you’re mad enough to smash something just to let the anger out or if you’re not and feel that doing so in a video game is ethically wrong.  Personally, I did get mad enough and I will say the game does offer the solution that at the end, you may WANT to smash your enemies, but what you NEED is someone who loves you, regardless of what choice you make or what reason you made them.  SPOILERS; when Byleth and Edelgard kill The Immaculate One, Byleth then presumably dies.  Edelgard has everything she wanted at this point, and she cradles Byleth’s body and weeps.  Sothis then leaves Byleth, causing her to be restored to life and hug her empress.  Edelgard wanted to end the government that looked the other way on what ruined her childhood, but really needed someone who loved her as she is, not demanding she change to be different in any way, but a helper who would be there and be a supportive ear, a friend who was close enough to become family.  Becoming that someone was liberating and helpful for me (because I can relate to that need and that sense of fury from pain), but if it doesn’t work for you, I think the Blue Lions route may, because you help Dimitri with his mental issues.

 

               On the less spoiler side of video games, I tweeted at Elizabeth Maxwell (voice actress of Ymir in Attack on Titan, Urbosa in Legend of Zelda, Winter in RWBY and Sae Niijima in Persona 5) when she tweeted that she was giving her cats silly names, to which I responded that one reminded me of “Snoogy Woogy” from an old Calvin and Hobbes strip.  She replied that she missed the comic, and I like that I got replied to, that tends to happen only when I’ve brought up old Tara Platt merchandise and YouTube videos (she and Yuri Lowenthal have a channel with videos such as “Out of Time” and “Topsy McGee and the Sky Pirates,” which are impressive for a budget of pocket change, I’d recommend them if you’re curious and have less than 10-15 minutes to kill, especially since they have low views.  The second also has John deLancie, as in Q from "Star Trek; TNG," Discord from "My Little Pony; friendship is magic" and a one-episode role in "Touched By An Angel" where he was mad enough at God to try suing Him because his town was facing severe drought).

 

               I feel I should say something about the latest death in the music business, Meat Loaf.  I wasn’t a big fan, but in 2014, I saw Blue Oyster Cult at the Emerald Queen Casino with Kasim Sulton on bass.  He was also the bass player on Meat Loaf’s “Bat out of Hell” album and also worked with Todd Rundgren and Joan Jett.  He’s an impressive bass player and someone who recognized his talent should be honored for that, if nothing else.  It took me until now to articulate this because life can get pretty cyclical and irritating, with athletes and actors who want to be known for their “faith” making themselves more known for their homophobia, racism and/or misogyny, which makes us all look bad, even if we reject these “ideals.”  This can wear me down because it makes the world untrustworthy and a lot more painful than it already is and it’s gotten worse in the last few years, being bolstered by fascism and what I can only describe as a hunger for genocide in the Republican party.

Music Releases Diary 1/21/2022

               Last week saw quite a few good releases across music, with great songs from Slash, Eddie Vedder, Cristina Vee, Casting Crowns and Skillet, “Call off the Dogs,” “Brother the Cloud,” “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” “Scars in Heaven” and “Valley of Death,” the first three being great rockers and the last two being good soothing songs about God’s kindness.  Last night also featured a new single from an upcoming Tribute to Leslie West of Mountain fame, "Theme from an Imaginary Western," by Dee Snider and Eddie Ojeda of Twisted Sister and Rudy Sarzo of Ozzy Osbourne's Tribute album, Quiet Riot, Whitesnake and Dio on bass.  This week will include a collaborative single featuring K.Flay, who I plan to see in March on the 9^th, but that’s only the beginning as this is the first busy release week of 2022.

 

               There are scheduled to be albums by various artists this week/tonight at 9:00 pm across several genres.  Bluesman Keb Mo has one with collaborations with Kristin Chenoweth and Darius Rucker, AURORA, who was the call in the song “Into the Unknown” in Frozen II, also has an album, hard rock group The Ferrymen with Ronnie Romero (ex-Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow) has another, part-Canadian hard rock group Dream Theater (who has several great Classic Rock covers) has an album of demos from 1986-1987 coming out, Herman Rarebell (former Scorpions drummer/co-writer of “Rock You Like a Hurricane”) has an orchestral album coming out and there is also a 1970 live performance by rock group Cactus (famous for their rendition of Blues song “Evil”) seeing release.  I don’t know much beyond those little things, but each one sounds worth a listen, and also Joe Satriani has released the first single from his next album, due out April 8^th.  I will listen to them through Spotify during the next week.

 

               I’d like to end on the note that legalism cannot help you generate compassion to respect people, at least, it didn’t in my experience.  It makes you just obey what’s written and doesn’t inspire you to show true compassion, which comes when you care about the other person’s existence and well-being.  When you care about someone, you then begin to respect them and not treat them as a hollow pawn to put your personality inside.  All people need that, as we are all unique.